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Levins-Chomsky 2-Pack

The logic of global capitalism is destroying the planet. It puts profits over the welfare of people and excessive production over ecological sustainability. Massive protests against powerful institutions like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization as well as so-called free trade deals draw in more and more people who believe that it is time for a different model that is sensitive to humans needs and the environment. How might we move beyond capitalism to a deeper understanding of how commodification and commercialism affect relationships both between people and nature?

Second Program: Human Intelligence & the EnvironmentAs a species we humans are unique because of our intelligence. At the same time we have the capacity to defer, deny and ignore unpleasant realities. To wit: the environmental crisis. The signs of climate change are clearly evident. Glaciers are melting at an astonishing rate. Floods, fires, drought, tornadoes and hurricanes are occurring with greater frequency and intensity. Rising sea levels are putting millions at risk. 2010 was the hottest year the earth has yet recorded. Conferences on mitigating global warming are held from Montreal to Copenhagen, to Cancun. But they have produced little more than hot air. The sense of urgency is just not there with the big industrial countries, responsible for most of the carbon emissions. They engage in compromises and non-binding deals leaving the basic systems and structures intact. Yet with all of the mounting evidence of the damage being done to the planet, we continue to dilly-dally. The clock is ticking.

Speaker(s):

Ecologist Richard Levins was the John Rock Professor of Population Sciences at the Harvard School of Public Health and co-author, with Richard Lewontin, of The Dialectical Biologist. He passed away in 2016.